


A Storm From the Sea

by Therm (Mister_Spock)



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:41:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22852654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mister_Spock/pseuds/Therm
Summary: Daryl Dixon heads back to Atlanta with Rick and the others to rescue Merle from the rooftops, but this time, they find him. Weak from blood loss, Daryl stays with his brother in Atlanta determined they will make their own way without the groups help. But things never go that smoothly.Complete.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	A Storm From the Sea

**Author's Note:**

> Slight AU. The show goes the same way up until 'Tell it to the Frogs' but from there, they find Merle and things go in different directions.

"Merle? Ya hear me?"

Daryl shook his brother gently, noticed the heat radiating from his brother's fevered body, the sweat-soaked material clinging to his skin. Merle gave a low groan as a reply, not coherent enough to answer his brother's request.

First light was breaking now and Daryl started to unwrap the messy dressing around the stump that used to be Merle's right hand.

The smell of infection was clear and Daryl cracked open the car's window to help.

He threw out the spoilt bandages and re-wrapped the wound best he could.

He popped some painkillers and antibiotics into Merle's mouth, helped him swallow them, and watched his brother as he went back into a fevered sleep.

Daryl bit nervously on his thumbnail. His gut was knotted in fear because he knew Merle was in trouble.

This wasn't his brother.

His brother was loud, obnoxious, always pushing people's buttons, winding them up, egging people on. Not silent, hands trembling, soaked through in sweat.

He was dying.

Daryl pushed the heels of his hands into his eyes, tried to rub away everything. The exhaustion was one thing, but the fear that he might not be able to save Merle scared the shit out of him.

There was only one thing he could do.

* * *

_***Flashback*** _

_Daryl wiped the sweat off his brow as he raced back to where he'd left Merle._

_He could hear the Asian kids footsteps just behind him but he didn't care whether he'd made it back or not. Painkillers and antibiotics. That was the only thing on his mind._

_When they'd found Merle, hand severed and cauterised but delirious with blood loss, pain and sunstroke to boot, he'd initially froze.  
Everything just overwhelmed him for a moment and as Rick and T Dog started to try and help the barely conscious man Merle had enough about him to push them away, curse them out and that bought Daryl around as he shoved them back further, made his brother realise he'd come back for him._

_And then one of them said something about medical supplies and Daryl knew he needed to get them. Couldn't trust these dumb fucks not to mess it all up._

_So despite hating the idea of leaving Merle he got up and headed out, the Sheriff giving instructions for Asia to go with him and Daryl barked out for them to try not to kill Merle while he was gone._

_And Daryl was shovelling down painkillers and antibiotics for Merle while the others stood behind him uselessly. And it wasn't until Rick lowered himself beside Daryl that he really remembered they were there._

_"We should move him," Rick said._

_"You don't touch my brother!" Daryl barked, knife out and pointed at Rick before anyone could really react. "Just get back to yer damn family. I got mine here and ain't no way I'm lettin' him anywhere near you people again. To hell with ya'll." He lowered the knife, sheathed it and turned his attention back to Merle._

_"You can't look after him by yourself, Daryl," Rick tried to reason._

_"Can't? Hell, it's been me and Merle our whole lives. Ain't changing now."_

_"The two of you won't make it..." T Dog added._

_Daryl huffed at him "Like we're better off with you. All this wouldn't be happening if it weren't for you!" His voice rose as his anger simmered. "Go back to ya camp. And pray you don't run into us again."_

_Rick exchanged glances with the other two men and they nodded. Time to go. Before they left, Rick paused at the door. "I never meant for this to happen, Daryl."_

_"Yeah? Well, it did. Shit happens."_

* * *

_***Present*** _

Merle cracked his eyes open as Daryl drove the stolen car up a bumpy path.

"Where we goin'? he muttered weakly.

Daryl spent so long looking at Merle, shocked his brother was conscious that he nearly drove them straight off the road into a ditch. "Fuck," he muttered as he swerved to straighten up. He concentrated on the road this time. "Goin' back to the camp," Daryl explained.

"Fuck for?" Merle muttered, already sounding sluggish.

"They owe us. S'all their fault this happens. Least they can do is help us out until you're better."

Merle let a light huff escape his lips but slipped back to being quiet and when Daryl checked on him minutes later, he was unconscious again.

The frown Daryl wore deepened. He had brief flashes of the group turning him away, refusing to help them but he tried to stay off that train of thought.

If that happened he'd deal with it then.

But he hoped it wouldn't be the case. They'd been decent enough up until now.

Had taken them both in when they first arrived. Had gone back for Merle and Rick did make the offer for them to go back to the quarry with them.

He hated that he needed them but it was only for a little while.

Once Merle was healed, they could do whatever they wanted and fuck it if he wouldn't rob them bastards blind just to show them all.

Nobody fucked them over and got away with it.

He stopped the car as he reached the top of the quarry.

He stared ahead.

Stared at the spot there the RV once stood.

The only car remaining was some flash red sports car. Everything else was gone, except his blue truck with Merle's bike a few feet away.

His lip trembled before he even realised it and he stepped out of the car.

There was a note for someone else on the red car and he ignored it.

Headed over to the truck and found the keys were left in plain sight. He grabbed them, intending to at least leave in his own truck but when he tried to start it, it wouldn't turn over and he realised they must have syphoned all the gas from his truck before leaving.

That was when he remembered Merle's stash. He had some damn strong painkillers with the other pills he carried and that might be enough to save his brother right now.

He left the truck, headed to the bike. But it didn't take him long to see the saddlebags were missing.

In fact, all the stuff from the back of his truck was gone too.

They'd taken everything.

Left him with a truck with no gas, and a bike that was no damn good for him to transport Merle in.

He wasn't even aware of the tears running down his face as the frustration burned in him.

He didn't know how to save Merle on his own. And he didn't know anyone else. Didn't know who the fuck might help them. They weren't an appealing pair for strangers to take in, and Merle was the talker, not him.

He'd got them into the last group. Daryl wasn't good with people.

He ran a hand across his face, pushing away the sweat and tears and ran it up into his hair.

He let out a breath. Gathered himself.

He could do this. He could save Merle alone.

He'd have to now.

* * *

Rick Grimes told them at the quarry that he couldn't leave a man to die. That's why he'd gone back for Merle Dixon.

Instead, he'd left two men to die, because he saw no logical way that Daryl Dixon would be able to save both himself and his brother the way they'd left them.

So it was his idea. That they took a chance and headed back to the store where they'd left Daryl and Merle and tried to talk them into coming with them.

And if they still turned them away, they could at least give them some supplies.

They could spare them a gun, some ammo. At least give them back their own possessions which they'd taken from the brother's vehicles before leaving them behind. Glenn had stuffed all the brothers belongings into a backpack so it's be easier for them to take with them.

The group had gathered back at the caravan after the detour.

"Nothing," Glenn said.

"We tried, Rick," Lori said, "There's nothing else we can do."

"She's right, man. You said Daryl decided not to come back to the camp and you came out and tried to find him anyway. Ain't nothing more we can do now. We head on to Fort Benning, right?" Shane kicked in.

Rick looked guilt-ridden, but he knew they couldn't do anything else. They'd tried the department store, Glenn had tried a couple of pharmacies and there was no sign of the Dixon brothers. They needed to move on.

He nodded. "You're right. We should go."

* * *

2.

Exhaustion pulled at Daryl's eyelids as he struggled to stay awake.

He'd stopped driving when the light faded but he couldn't afford to sleep. Not with Merle as sick as he was.

His condition seemed to have gotten worse since yesterday and he hoped to see signs of others soon.

Anyone.

He'd damn well surrender his weapons if they'd help Merle.

But he had to find someone first.

When day broke, he headed into the small town.

He parked the car straight outside a small pharmacy so he'd be able to keep an eye on Merle while he checked what they had.

He could see before he got into the store how wrecked it was. Clearly he wasn't the first to hit this store, but he kept hope alive that maybe he'd get lucky here, even knowing that if Merle had hit this place, he'd had taken all the good stuff.

But not everyone was like Merle, he figured.

Whoever had hit this place before him clearly was though.

He only came out with fresh bandages. He killed the few walkers that were on the street when he left, his frustration at his situation making him need a release.

He was overwhelmed.

What should he do now? This town was a bust, what if the next one was too? He didn't know how long Merle would last without some proper care.

He looked back at the car, saw Merle's head slumped to one side, could see the sheen of sweat covering his face and arms from here.

He took a few deep breaths. He couldn't afford to lose his shit now.

Merle needed him.

* * *

Something wasn't right with Merle.

He knew it. He hadn't opened his eyes at all today, Daryl couldn't rouse him either.

Couldn't get any pills down his throat to try and help him.

And he didn't know what to do. He'd bundled Merle with blankets when he was shivering and the smell from his wound was getting worse he thought, but it was hard to tell, he was used to it by now.

So he drove.

Drove in the hopes he'd find some miracle answer. He hit another town and his search of the pharmacy was more frantic.

He threw boxes on the floor as he tried to find anything to save Merle. When he drew a blank he rushed outside, his mind racing, his actions matching.

He drove in a flurry of desperation.

There had to be something somewhere.

Had to be someone.

* * *

He saw the vehicles move in the distance.

Followed them and found where they'd gone after some searching. A large store saw them parked haphazardly outside, clearly they were looting the building.

He didn't care what they were doing, just if they could help. He blasted the horn several times and three men stepped outside the building, all with guns pointed on him.

And he quickly put his hands up to show them he wasn't a threat.

One of the men looked over to another, and he nodded as the three approached the car. The tallest man seemed to be the one the others looked too and he opened the car door where Daryl was sat, gun still trained on him.

"Out," he said and Daryl did as he was told.

Someone had opened the other side door and Daryl looked over to him, made sure they weren't going to do anything stupid.

"He bit?" the other man asked, looking at Merle.

Daryl shook his head. "He cut his hand off. Infection's real bad,"

"Martinez," the leader said, nodding at Merle and Martinez pulled the blanket away.

The smell hit Martinez and he took a few steps back. "Jesus..." he said, looking at the mess that remained. "He's in bad shape, boss."

"I'll take these two back to base. You two get the supplies we need. You can manage?" The man in charge asked.

The pair nodded and rushed off back inside the building. The leader turned to Daryl. "I'm Phillip. We have a town not far from here. A good doctor there. I'll take you," he looked at Daryl carefully, eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm going to drive your car, okay? Be easier that way."

Daryl nodded, climbed in the back.

Phillip drove quickly, Daryl didn't notice where they were going, all he concentrated on was Merle.

"Why did he cut off his hand? Was he bitten?"

Daryl shook his head. "Some asshole handcuffed him to a pipe. Left him. By the time I got there he'd already done it," Daryl barely noticed how strained his own voice sounded.

"Is he your friend?"

"Brother."

"What's his name?"

It took Daryl a minute before he could bear to say it. "Merle," his voice cracked when he said it nonetheless.

"You?"

"Daryl."

"Daryl. Listen, we've got a great doctor at our town. She'll do her best, okay?"

Daryl just nodded.

* * *

Daryl could barely comprehend what was happening.

When they arrived at the town, he helped Phillip take Merle to a room where a female doctor took over.

She insisted Daryl leave the room and Phillip sat with him.

He prodded a little about what they'd been doing before this and Daryl told him the quick version of events. How they'd travelled just the two of them until meeting the group and how Merle ended up handcuffed.

The Governor told Daryl about the community they had. How a few of them had started off together and as their numbers grew they decided to make a town for themselves. Woodbury.

When he'd said all he could, Phillip excused himself and headed into the room where Merle was.

* * *

"How's it going?" Phillip asked as he closed the door behind him.

The brother, Merle, was out cold. The wound looked nasty with all the dressing removed. The smell assaulted his nose again as he came closer.

Doctor Stevens sighed . "There's something you should know," she said as she fished something out of her pocket. She dropped it into Phillip's hand. "Crystal meth. It's only a small amount but it's likely he's a regular user. It's highly addictive."

Phillip looked carefully as the substance a few moments before he placed it in his own pocket. "What are his chances?"

"What do you want them to be?"

He stepped closer to her, voice dropping down low. " We don't need that kind of problem here."

She nodded. "He has sepsis. If he goes into septic shock... even before the world ended, he'd only have a 50% chance of survival at a hospital. We're not equipped for that. We can save him. If you want to."

Phillip's hand found it's way into his pocket, toyed with the tiny packet of meth. "He's such a liability. We could waste out supplies on saving his life and he'll be no use to us". He moved over to Merle and removed the three cuffs that circled his wrist. "Lose him."

* * *

Daryl looked up anxiously as Phillip stepped out of the room.

He was sombre as he took a seat next to Daryl. He could feel the brother was aching to get up, move around, just do something but he stayed seated, his anxiety spilling out in the way he couldn't quite keep his right leg still.

"Your brother's very sick. It's 50/50 right now. Doctor Stevens is very capable though. He's in the best hands."

Daryl nodded vaguely, said nothing.

"The doctor removed some of his belongings." He held out the three cuffs that Merle had worn on his wrist and Daryl took them, looking at them briefly before he stuffed them into his pocket. "There's also this," Phillip said, pulling out the crystal meth.

He saw the change in Daryl's face. He was wearing a mask until then, keeping his emotions in check at his brother's uncertain fate but seeing that tiny packet of his brother's drugs contorted Daryl's features into a look of disgust.

It took him a moment before he could slip the mask back on, cooling the rage within him. "Chuck it. God damn stuff's done nothing but ruin his life."

Phillip curled his fist around the packet. Smiled a little.

At least one of the brothers might prove useful.

* * *

3.

It had been five days since Daryl and Merle were taken in at Woodbury.

Three days ago his brother's body was committed to the ground.

At Daryl's request, Phillip hadn't made a fuss with a service. Didn't seem much point as nobody there knew him. Besides, Merle wouldn't have cared.

Phillip had given Daryl a place to call his own for however long he wanted it. He'd returned Daryl's car keys to him, told him he had a few guns and that if he wanted to leave, to come by and see him and he'd sort him out with a gun to help him out.

He had the crossbow but that was all.

And Daryl didn't really know what he was going to do.

Because he'd never thought of his life beyond Merle. He'd had a life while Merle was away. Absent, but never gone. Never gone with no way to come back.

And he didn't know what to do without him. After Merle was laid to rest he spent the rest of that day alone. Stayed in the room Phillip had given him thinking. That was never a good idea. Because he was back living at home and going through the hell he and Merle had endured all those years before.

He was disturbed only once that first night.

Phillip came by and gave him some food and drink in case he wanted it. He didn't stay any longer than he needed to though.

Daryl slept restlessly that first night.

The next morning, he found some clean clothes left outside his door.

He put them on the bed for later and decided to take a look around Woodbury.

Most people he passed smiled at him, some even greeted him. There were shops lining the street and the people kept the non-essential supplies inside, handing things out to the people that needed them.

Money was useless long ago, so people just cared for one another. Bought in supplies and then handed things out to the right people so that everyone got what they needed.

Daryl watched the shifts change over for the people on guard at one of the walls. He recognised one of the men from when he'd been out with Merle.

When he spotted Daryl he waved him over. Daryl was tempted to turn round and walk off, but then he also wanted to see the set up outside Woodbury, so he made his way over to the makeshift wall.

"Daryl, right?" the man questioned as Daryl stood at the bottom of the wall looking upwards. He nodded his reply as he looked at the barricade. "I'm Caesar Martinez, but everyone just calls me Martinez. I saw you checking the place out. You staying?"

Daryl squinted upwards, shrugging. "Ain't decided."

"Come take a look at what's ours?" he said, indicating to the ladder.

Daryl nodded and climbed the ladder. At the top he saw an old abandoned street. It looked like dozens of streets he'd seen before. The storefronts broken, garbage and litter covering the streets. He was sure he could see a couple of piles of clothed bodies in one storefront. "So what do you think?"

Daryl kept looking out at the view. "Your barricades are shit. Get a buncha geeks heading this way and they'll breakthrough." Daryl gestured back towards the town where people were walking about freely, "And all those people are gonna be the ones to suffer. Besides that, it's good."

Martinez smiled at Daryl's words. "The Governor wants to put in a gate at the front wall."

"The Governor?"

"Phillip. He's the boss. One of the guys we had here before always called him that. Kinda stuck."

Daryl nodded. "Gates a good idea."

"So, you think you're gonna stay?"

Daryl looked at the man for a moment before looking back out beyond Woodbury's barricades. "Got some people who have some vengeance comin' their way,"

Martinez nodded. "Yeah, I get that. I'm sorry about your brother." Daryl nodded his understanding at the man. "You should think about it. Give it a couple more days. The Governor looks after his people."

* * *

Daryl observed Woodbury for a few days.

Mostly from the room he'd been given, he'd sit inside and watch the people go about their day.

Looked like old times, like any typical streets. Women gossiping, kids running around, playing together, men laughing together.

While on a run the day before, the scouts had bought back a family. Pregnant woman, her husband and their two children. All had managed to look after one another all this time, but the woman was getting big now and she probably couldn't have survived out there much longer.

And Daryl watched them.

Watched the family get taken in and cared for.

Saw them come out into the street later on with clean clothes and having had the doctor take care of them.

He saw the mother rubbing her swollen belly and smiling happily as her children interacted with the kids already at Woodbury.

And he listened as Phillip called the people in the street together, told them that they'd celebrate that day by roasting a wild boar someone had caught that evening.

Daryl almost felt forgotten in his dark corner of the world. Observing and not seen.

But not long after that there was a knock at the door.

Daryl wasn't surprised to see Phillip stood there and he invited him in.

"There's going to be a gathering later on. I'm hoping you might join us."

"I ain't really into crowds of people," Daryl said.

The Governor nodded. "Have you decided if you're going to stay? I only ask because a few people had noticed you around but then thought you'd vanished. I'd like to be able to tell them something."

"It's a good place, I jus' don't know what I can offer you, is all." Daryl looked back out to the people down below in the streets.

He wasn't like them. He'd never be out there with them the same way.

Phillip moved over to the window, looked out at the people below. "We take people in here. All people. And I look after them. Look after them all. Every decision I make will affect all of these people's lives. So I have to make those decisions carefully. And I surround myself with people who can help me make those decisions easier. Milton is the biggest science geek you could ever wish to meet. But he's invaluable to me. I think you could be too." Phillip put a hand on Daryl's shoulder.

It was supposed to bridge any gap between them. Instead, Phillip noticed the tension underneath his touch almost straight away.

He removed his hand, stepped back slightly. "Sorry,"

Before he knew it, the Governor was retreating from the room. He paused before he left. "Daryl?" When the other man turned towards him. "I think you have a place here. I understand if that's not how you feel, but I just hope you think about it first."

And with that, he left Daryl to think it over.

* * *

4.

Daryl thought about Phillip's words after he left.

What to do. Where to go.

Wondered what Merle would want for him.

And he always came back to the fact that since this whole thing started, Merle just wanted them to be together. And now Merle was here, at Woodbury and going anywhere else would be leaving him behind.

And that was something he didn't want to do. He wouldn't do it.

He wasn't sure what use he could really be, but he could try.

May as well.

So Daryl dared to venture down into the streets of Woodbury during this celebration and while he kept out of the way as much as possible, he was there, he was part of it.

He stayed close to the entrance to his building block, ready for a quick escape if things got too much for him, sat on the steps leading up to the building and watched the people.

Martinez came and sat with him for a while. He slipped a bottle of Jack Daniels from his pocket and handed it to Daryl.

When Daryl looked at him wondering what it was for, Martinez just shrugged. "Gotta enjoy the little things, right?"

They didn't talk much but it felt okay. Didn't feel awkward. Occasionally, Martinez would tell Daryl the name of some of the occupants of the town and the sort of things they did for the town and Daryl would nod, occasionally ask more about them and eventually, Martinez left Daryl alone again as he mingled with the others. Daryl appreciated that he'd stayed with him a while though, something he didn't have to do.

He spotted the new family. Watched them join in and become part of the town.

And at one point the expectant mother caught his eye and she smiled at him. He nodded her way, not sure what else he should do, not wanting to encourage anyone over towards him.

So he looked away from her when she didn't break eye contact with him and picked at a small hole in the knee of his jeans. Got so caught up in it that when he looked up again, he couldn't even see the family any more.

"Glad you came," a familiar voice said and Daryl looked up from the steps he sat on at the man towering over him. Phillip stood there, holding the hand of a little girl. "This is Penny, say hi darling". Penny smiled shyly at Daryl and he smiled at her. Daryl idly wondered how old she was, where her mother was, but he kept those thoughts to himself. He'd not been here long enough to ask such questions.  
Phillip spotted the bottle beside Daryl and smiled. "I see Martinez is trying to tempt you to stay with alcohol. If you do stay be aware- he has a lot more than that in his personal stash. Get him to show you sometime. Well... if you decide to stay that is. I know you're still making that decision."

Daryl squinted up towards the other man before he stood up, blocking the beaming sun with one hand over his eyes. "I already made my decision, actually."

"Oh?" Turning to Penny, Phillip dropped down "Honey, why don't you go and play with Alice?" And she rushed off, eager to have some fun.

When she was gone, Phillip turned his attention back to Daryl. "So?"

"Figured I'd stay," Daryl said with a shrug. It didn't feel like a big deal to him.

Phillip smiled then. "That's great. You'll be an asset."

Daryl wasn't sure he'd be much of an asset. He could hunt and track and from what he could tell, others here already had that skill. There was a part deep inside of Daryl that held onto the fact that Phillip had called him an asset. He wanted him to stay. All that talk earlier was genuine and he actually wanted Daryl to stay. The very notion seemed alien to Daryl.

Nobody ever wanted Daryl around. There were plenty of times Merle didn't want his brother around and his Father was hell-bent of proving how little he wanted his youngest son around.

Even the camp at the quarry hadn't wanted Daryl and Merle to be there.

He wasn't sure why they'd let them stay in the end, something like being decent to other human beings, preached to them by the old guy, but he didn't buy it. He and Merle were always treated as lower than everyone else, looked down upon.

Nobody fought on their side before.

Nobody would have argued to keep them from leaving and nobody appreciated the damn hard work that went into each scrap of meat that Daryl bought back to the camp. Not one of them.

And he'd never been thought of as an asset.

"Well, I'm going to get back to the others," Phillip said, indicating to the people of the town and breaking Daryl from his thoughts.

Daryl reached down and picked up the bottle, "Yeah, I think I might head back in." He started to walk away when he heard Phillip call out to him. "You made the right choice."

* * *

Daryl wasn't sure what woke him up straight away.

But then he heard it. Registered what it actually was.

The faint sound of people screaming and he wasn't sure what was happening so he scrambled off the bed and rushed to the window. Opened it and stuck his head out into the darkening world.

There were walkers on the streets and people were running. The barricades were down at the front of the town and some people were spilling outside of the towns safety.

Daryl couldn't understand it at first, but then he saw some men in the streets shooting at the townspeople and realised that this was a siege. There were already bodies on the ground, some people moaning in pain, panicking because the walkers were inside as well as the men and they didn't know where was safe.

Daryl wasted no time grabbing his crossbow and loading it. He fired a shot and watched as one of the men attacking went down, the bolt piercing his skull. As he reloaded he spotted the pregnant woman, struggling to keep up with her husband as they fled, a man with a machete chasing them and closing the gap with every second.

He wanted more than anything to shoot this guy in the stomach, the thigh, bust open an artery and watch the bastard bleed. But he couldn't afford that luxury so he took him down with a headshot. His body lifeless in a heap as he watched the family continue to escape.

He only had two more bolts before the crossbow would be useless but he'd make them count.

Surveying the scene below, the chaos, his eyes came upon a teenage boy, who had dropped to his knees.

Daryl realised he was grasping for an inhaler that he'd dropped and then he gasped in the medicine, the stress of the situation making the boys body revolt against him. A walker was inches from him and Daryl killed it before the boy even had a chance to notice it.

Seconds after the walker was down a woman ran up to him and put her arms around him, seemed to show him how close he'd been to being bitten and she threw her glance up towards Daryl.

If he'd had time to watch her, he'd have seen the gratitude on her face, but he had one more bolt and he would save someone with it.

Before he got a chance to do much else, his eye was drawn across the street and he realised one of the men invading the town had spotted him, he ducked just in time as bullet's bit into the side of the building and then splintered the wood on the cupboard in Daryl's room.

His last shot had to count and he was hoping to spot the man who had been aiming at him. He saw that Martinez had got the guy, removing all his weapons from his body before shooting a look Daryl's way. Making sure that he was okay.

Daryl nodded and looked across the chaotic streets once more. They were starting to turn it around, starting to get some order. The attackers were retreating but Martinez and the other guards were after them now.

And some of the more able people in town were starting to take care of the walkers.

He was ready to use that final bolt when he heard a frantic yell, cutting through all the other noise and chaos, and it cut through Daryl.

_"Penny!"_

He looked and saw Phillip desperately trying to find his daughter amid the chaos. Looking to any small girl, checking doorways where some people were huddling, able to come out from their shelter now.

Daryl turned back to the crowd, Phillip was still searching for Penny. Daryl scanned the crowds but couldn't spot the little girl.

He grabbed his knife and headed down towards the street.

* * *

Daryl helped Martinez and some of the others secure the wall for the night while everyone tried to gather themselves. They did what they could with the remaining wood and then moved some vehicles in front of the damaged wall too. It would hold for the night, until they got a better look at it.

The streets were now mostly empty. People had gone back home for the night although nobody was likely to get much sleep.

Phillip was still out there and was having a heated discussion with another man Daryl hadn't seen before. Daryl and Martinez joined them, Daryl taking a backseat and letting Martinez talk.

"Boss?" Martinez questioned.

"Penny's missing," he said, his voice frantic.

"But we've checked all the bodies. We know she's not here."

"What good is that, Milton?" Phillip barked.

Daryl looked at the new man, seemed he was the rational one here. Or at least, he was trying to be.

"A lot of people headed outside when the walls went down. She might have run," Martinez said. "Do we know how many are unaccounted for?"

"Only four, including Penny," Milton stated. He hadn't let Phillip's tone affect him, clearly used to his moods.

"Maybe someone else was with her. They might be keeping her safe." Martinez said.

"Then why aren't they back?"

"They're probably scared. Keeping her safe until daylight." Martinez said, and then looked to Daryl for some backup.

He expected Daryl to nod and agree.

"Crack o' dawn, I can go and track her down," Daryl added, his only contribution to the conversation. "If she headed to the woods, I'll find her."

"You can't go now?"

Daryl shook his head. "First light. Need to see her trail. If I go out now, could walk all over it. Won't find a thing."

Phillip nodded reluctantly.

"Man knows what he's talking about," Martinez said. Trying to keep Phillip calm in a desperate situation.

"You got somewhere for supplies? Need to get a few bits together. If I do 'em now, ain't gotta waste time at dawn."

"Show him," Phillip ordered Martinez, vaguely pointing off behind them.

Daryl followed Martinez, looking back to where Phillip was as Milton lead him away. "He gonna be okay?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah, Milton'll look after him. C'mon."

* * *

Daryl concentrated as he followed the trail through the woods.

They had no clue where she'd gone after leaving the town and one direction she could have headed would lead her to a group of abandoned houses, mostly burnt out now. Daryl thought it looked too creepy for her to go there, but he also reasoned that she had run out when she was scared and it was dark. The houses might have been a better choice for her.

But Daryl went for the woods, hoping to pick up tracks through the small clearing easily distinguishable even in poor light. And it wasn't long before he found a sign.

Small footprints, set at a distance to indicate she'd been running when she got there.

Daryl was able to pick up his pace as soon as he was certain he was following the trail of the little girl. And Daryl could feel Phillip's relief when the pace was moved up. He'd been quiet as Daryl slowly tracked the girl at first, but Daryl felt the man's jitters.

"Her trail goes right there," Daryl said, pointing to an old cabin in the woods. It was run-down but it'd do if you were a frightened child in the night.

And Phillip stepped forward then. Went to the door and braced himself. Daryl was ready to back him up, ready for whatever they found inside.

Phillip opened the door slowly, painfully aware he's young frightened daughter could be inside and as soon as he had it open he gently called to her. "Penny?"

As soon as he spoke, a walker lumbered towards him, coming from a small room. Daryl took it down in seconds with a well-aimed bolt. Phillip headed towards the room that the walker had come from.

He didn't spare it a second glance like Daryl did. Didn't notice the blood around its mouth which looked too fresh for Daryl's liking.

There was no sign of Penny though and Phillip felt his hope fade slightly. There was another small door which Phillip didn't notice until Daryl pointed to it. It had to be a closet from the size and Daryl positioned himself so he was able to make a quick shot if they found anything in there.

Daryl nodded to Phillip and the father wiped the sweat from his hand.

"Penny? It's Daddy. It's safe now, you can come out."

He reached for the handle and before he grabbed it, the door popped open.

"Daddy?"

"Oh, baby" Phillip said, gun clattering to the floor as she stepped out of the darkness and into his embrace. "I was so worried."

"I was scared, daddy."

"I know baby. Daddy was scared too. But you're okay now."

"The monster in town hurt me, Daddy." Penny whimpered.

"Hurt you? Hurt you how baby?"

Penny rolled her sleeve up and showed her father the nasty gash on her arm.

A scratch. It was bleeding sluggishly, weeping. The skin around it was swollen and puffy.

Daryl reached out carefully to feel the girls head, check for a fever and Phillip struck his hand away quickly as he pulled his daughter close.

Daryl saw the fear in his eyes. Guessed he probably wore the same look when he was fighting Merle's death.

"Let's get her back to the doctor, okay?" Daryl said. Looking down to Penny he tried a reassuring smile "She'll make you better."

Daryl picked up Phillip's gun and stuffed it into the back of his pants as the other man carried his daughter back to Woodbury.

* * *

5.

It seemed to Daryl that the moment he decided to stay at Woodbury, the whole landscape shifted.

The town was attacked and Phillip lost Penny. Lost her like he had lost Merle.

Phillip grieved and withdrew. Spent a lot of time in his apartment. Left the running of the town to Milton, who was next to useless. Martinez was always stepping in and guiding him, making the people listen to what Milton was trying to tell them.

And Daryl backed up Martinez whenever he needed too.

They improved the barricades. Went and changed the front entrance so it had the gate that Phillip had wanted.

They secured the whole place. Worked on training up more people to protect the town.

And Daryl found that sometimes when he walked through town some people came and asked him for his help with something, or told him about a problem. And he realised he had a place with this town, with these people. He had his role to play here. It wasn't just that they needed him to hunt or gather supplies. He was helping to make this town what it was. Maybe the hard work had been done before he got here but he was helping it to evolve.

And pretty soon, it was him and Martinez running the town while Phillip grieved. Milton came to them when he wanted a message passed to the people of the town because he knew they would listen to them. They were responsible for the people's safety and they saw the effort that they were putting in.

Milton didn't have that respect because the people rarely saw him. he was in his lab, hidden away. Maybe he was doing important things. Maybe he was just wasting time. It didn't matter either way. Not now.

They reported back to Phillip often. Kept him up together with the changes that were made.

And Daryl started to see him drift out of that fog.

Saw a book emerge he hadn't seen before. Saw the list of things that the Governor had made of what he wanted for the town, told them this was what they were still working towards.

Daryl and Martinez studied it. It all made sense.

It was all things like no crime in Woodbury and planning town meetings once a week, things that would benefit everyone.

And they agreed to work towards it again.

Time moved on.

The went on more scouting missions. Bought back more people to live at the town. Found more supplies. Soon enough, Phillip was more or less his old self. There was still some scars from the devastation of his loss but mostly, he seemed to be functioning again.

Surviving.

Winter was a harsh test.

They had a breach in one of the walls but thankfully there were no casualties. It shook people up and they bonded together, felt more like a real community. They were stronger for it, people looked out for each other.

Supplies were low when they made it to spring and they started to organise groups to head out further.

Daryl and Martinez headed to an area they'd been too before. it had been mostly untouched when they'd hit it before and raided the food store for all they had. They headed back this time to gather all the clothes they could get in the truck.

It was while they were filling up the holdalls with clothes that they heard another vehicle pull up outside.

They both took cover, waiting to see if anyone headed into the store they currently occupied.

Daryl looked to Martinez who had a better view than Daryl from his position. "Young girl. She's hot. Nice ass."

"Anyone else?" Daryl asked.

"Guy. Bit older than her."

"What do you think?"

"His ass ain't as nice."

Daryl snorted slightly. "They right for us?"

"They look like survivors. We should check 'em out."

Daryl nodded and Martinez leads the way. When they emerged from the store they'd been in, the others had headed into one of the other stores and Martinez, leading the way, indicated to a store two down from where they'd been. They both headed towards it quietly, Martinez taking control of the situation.

"Hey, you two in the store. Are you okay? Do you need help?"

There was no answer.

"There's two of us out here. We have a town. A safe place if you need somewhere to stay."

They were still greeted with silence.

"Okay, I'm going to step in front of the store so you can see me okay?"

Martinez looked to Daryl and they nodded to one another before Martinez stepped out.

"Hey..." was all Martinez managed to mutter before Daryl watched in horror as the man's body jolted back from a gunshot and fell to the ground. Blood pooled around his head from the instantly fatal head wound.

"NO!" Daryl heard a woman shout, sounding as shocked as Daryl felt. His heart pounding, he knew he needed to get back to the truck before they came and found him, so he wasted no time making for the truck, the supplies left-back in the store long forgotten.

It wasn't a large distance to cover between where he'd been stood and the truck, but Daryl heard the man's boots as he raced from the store after him. He grabbed the handle to the truck and had the door pulled open, crossbow thrown across onto the passenger seat when the shot fired into his shoulder. He knew the man had likely been aiming for his head, but with Daryl's natural protective instincts, he'd kept his head low as he'd run, and the position he'd been in as he pulled the door open had proved to save his life.

But damn, it still hurt.

His footing came out from under him as the bullet slammed into his shoulder, a deep burning pain flaring in it and his hip and back were jolted as he hit the great with a bone shuddering thud.

It seemed to vibrate through every part of him. He was down on the ground, facing towards the truck, breathing in the dust he'd kicked up from the dry ground.

He could hear the man getting closer and he knew.

This was how he'd die.

But dammit if he'd die cowering in the dirt and he started to pull himself to his feet, clasping his shoulder.

His back screamed in agony as his tail bone protested moving so soon after he'd injured it. His hip didn't hurt so much, but maybe that was because between his back and shoulder, it hardly seemed like anything in comparison.

Stood on his own two feet, Daryl turned to face whoever was about to end it all for him.

And stood before him was Rick Grimes.

* * *

**6.**

Maggie was certain that she was going to follow Rick back out into a bloodbath.

Instead, she found him and another man locked in some fierce staring contest. "Rick?" she said, coming up beside him.

She could see the man by the truck had been hit, the wound bleeding heavily. He sneered at Rick before speaking. "C'mon then, watcha waitin' for?"

Rick seemed to realise his gun was still aimed and lowered it, much to Maggie's surprise. "I didn't know it was you," he explained.

"You know him?" Maggie asked surprised by the turn of events. Looking back to the other man, dead on the ground, she questioned, "Him?" Rick shook his head.

Rick put his gun away and looked back at the man on the ground, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I couldn't take the chance..."

The other man narrowed his eyes at him. Looked at his blood-soaked hand and pulled a red rag from his back pocket and held it to the wound.

Maggie stepped past Rick and over to the injured man. "Here, let me see," she insisted.

Daryl backed up until he was against the truck. "Back off, girl," he warned her. He only had his knife on him but didn't draw it, seeing as he'd end up as dead as Martinez if he dared too.

Maggie wasn't interested in Daryl's words though and she saw the shocked look on the man's face as she squatted away his attempts at keeping her off of him. "Rick, go get the stuff we need. We've drawn attention to ourselves," she said, indicating to the walkers that had started to emerge from one end of the street.

Looking around, Rick returned to the store they'd left and was out of view, collecting the items they'd come for.

With Rick gone, Maggie turned back to Daryl. "I don't like this any more than you do. But we're not usually so trigger happy. We need these supplies badly...He's got a lot on his mind," Maggie said, trying to explain Rick's behaviour.

Daryl scoffed. "Spare me. He just killed my friend in cold blood. And what he did to my brother..." He didn't mean to bring up Merle, not really. But the words had escaped before he could stop himself.

Maggie's eyes narrowed as she thought about it for a moment before she spoke again. "Your brother...you're a Dixon. Right? Heard about you guys from the rest of the group."

Daryl chose to ignore her and look away.

She had already clocked that this man had both hands, so it wasn't Merle. She just couldn't recall the name of this man. "Your shoulder's pretty messed up. Come back with us and my Dad'll fix you up."

"Ain't goin' anywhere with you people. You killed Martinez!"

"You can't drive like that. You'll get yourself killed," Maggie protested.

"Get myself killed going with you people!"

More walkers were closing in on them now and Daryl shrugged away from her grip and turned back to the truck. He looked back to the store he'd been in and decided it was worth grabbing the bags of supplies they'd gathered. He was going back with bad enough news with the loss of Martinez. The least he could do was take some supplied with him.

"Maggie, c'mon," Rick said, having loaded the supplies they'd come for in the car.

Maggie made her way over to Rick as he came forward to her, meeting between the two stores."His shoulder's bad. He shouldn't be left on his own. My Dad could take a look at it."

"Maggie..."

"He won't make it back if we don't help him."

Rick sighed. "Okay. It's gonna be best if you try though." Rick said.

"Hey," Maggie called. "Come with us. My Dad will sort your shoulder out and then you can go."

She didn't hear Daryl respond to her other than to huff. "Come on!" She urged, but he still ignored her, his back to her. The walkers were moving faster, the noise exciting them and drawing more of them/

"This is no use," Rick said as he made his way over past Maggie. His gun was out and before Maggie could say anything, he'd cracked it down against Daryl's skull, managing to grab him before he hit the ground. He held him upright and Maggie rushed to help him and between them, they got Daryl into the back on their car.

"Once we get clear of here, we need to tie him up. I don't trust him."

* * *

When Daryl first woke up, he was surrounded by darkness. He couldn't really place what had happened to him and when he tried to move, he found it impossible as his hands were bound.

His shoulder throbbed impossibly painfully and then he remembered what had happened.

Realising he was bound and blindfolded somewhere, Daryl did what he always did in this sort of situation, he made the best attempt he could at getting free.

"Looks like he's awake," Rick said as he watched the car start to rock slightly as Daryl fought to get free.

"This is such a bad idea," Glenn said.

And Rick knew to a degree Glenn was right. The seven of them sat huddled around a fire they'd started in the prison grounds. So few of them remained that they didn't have the resources to try and get beyond the next fence. Clearing the field had been hard enough.

Rick noticed the look of apprehension also on Andrea's face. She and Glenn had dealt with Daryl before, Rick had little experience with him and Maggie and Hershel didn't know him at all.

"So what do we do now?" Andrea asked.

"I'll go talk to him," Hershel offered. "He doesn't know me, so maybe it's better than

it isn't any of the former group members he's confronted with. See if we can cool him down a little."

"You're not going to bring him out here though, right? We've got Carl and Judith to think about." Andrea fretted. She was holding the sleeping baby in her arms, letting the infant suckle on her knuckle in place of a pacifier.

"I'll see how it goes. If we treat him like a prisoner, he'll act like one. All through winter you mentioned he was a hunter and tracker, kept saying if he was there he could have helped catch some food. Bringing someone like him into the group, as long as he's not dangerous, can't be a bad thing."

"Be careful, Daddy," Maggie said as he made his way over to the car.

When Hershel got to the car, he was able to see that Daryl seemed to be taking his frustrations out on the car seat in front of him. Hershel knocked on the window to let the man know someone was there.

He watched the man freeze, could see the muscles in his arms bunching up with tension.

Hershel carefully opened the door to the car.

"Daryl?" Hershel said gently. "My name is Hershel Greene. We just want to help you, okay?" Daryl didn't respond, so he pressed on. "I'm going to take the blindfold off, okay?" Daryl stayed silent so Hershel carefully moved forward, leaning across the car seat and untied the blindfold.

Daryl's eyes sought out the other man as soon as possible.

Hershel saw how careful the man was to hide his fear, kept his expression neutral, but his breathing gave him away, knew the younger man was slightly panicked about the whole situation.

Hershel stood by the door, not wanting to push in too close so quickly for fear he'd make Daryl lash out again. His intention was to convince this man to put aside whatever had come between him and Rick previously and join the group again. "I'm not going to be able to look at this shoulder with your hands tied up, so I'm gonna have to untie you. So, I'm counting on you not making me regret it. I don't have any weapons on me and I'm sure you can see that I'm not as physically strong as you are, but there's a group of people over there who will defend one another. My daughter is over there. She's my blood, my family. She'll do anything to protect her family. All I want to do is have a look at your wound, patch you up best I can and when you've healed a little, we'll take you back to where you want to be."

Daryl leant forward as Hershel untied his hands. He noticed how much the man relaxed once he was free.

"It was unfortunate what happened when you and Rick came into contact with one another today," Hershel said.

"Jus' get on with it," Daryl snapped, a reminder of what had happened to Martinez not welcome.

"Fine. Can you take your top off, or not?"

"Jus' cut it away so you can get to it, s'fine."

Hershel snipped away the material so he could get to Daryl's wounded shoulder and started to clean the area in relative silence. He thought about how to approach the subject but he knew there was little he could say that would take away the sting from what had happened.

He stayed silent until he was stitching the wounds closed.

"What happened today with you and Rick, it was unfortunate." Hershel tried again.

"He kills a man and that's _unfortunate_?"

"It was the situation..."

"You weren't there! My guy calls out to your people and before he takes one step in front of Grimes, he's got a bullet in his head!"

"He was frightened. And he was wrong. He knows that but he was desperate. We've lost so many people now... we are all too scared of having to lose another."

"Kill or be killed. He tell ya about my brother?"

"The guy he left on the roof?"

Daryl nodded. "Cut off his own hand to escape."

Hershel nodded. The last stitch was in Daryl and Hershel sat back when he was finished. He had a few things he felt Daryl needed to know about the situation too. "He told us how they left the quarry and they went to try and find the two of you again? Wanted to at least return to you your supplies. But you weren't anywhere near where they left you. Glenn, Shane, Rick and T Dog... they all searched around and couldn't find neither of you."

Daryl narrowed his eyes at the man. "You expect me to believe that?"

"I have no reason to lie to you. You're not going to kill Rick, not while we're all here so what would I gain from lying to you?"

"When you let me go, I can bring back Hell to you people."

Hershel nodded. "Then I suppose you'll do that whether I lie to you or not." Hershel stood up from the seat, grabbing his kit. Before he left, he leant back in. "But for the record, it's no lie."

* * *

Daryl sat in the car alone after Hershel left him.

He watched as he returned to the group and Daryl saw that the others around the campfire stole glances his way as Hershel no doubt relayed their conversation.

But Hershel didn't sit when he returned to the group he was passed up a bundle of material and took it in his arms. It took a moment for Daryl to register that it was a baby.

The damn group had a baby with them? No wonder Grimes had been so trigger happy, protecting a baby. He wondered who the mother was.

Maggie was clearly too young, and Daryl doubted she'd have left her child while she went on a run. And the only other woman was Andrea. Could be hers, he guessed.

Or there was the possibility that it was one of the other women who'd been at the camp before he left. There'd been a few. Or maybe someone he'd never met. Maggie's other family, perhaps?

After a while the fire died down as some of the group settled down and Andrea took watch.

She patrolled around the perimeter of the prison, but not too close to the fence, just close enough to make sure the build-up of walkers never became too great and that there were no weaknesses.

She never ventured near the car Daryl remained in and despite the hostile situation he found himself in, he drifted off, knowing that he was at least safe for now.

When he woke again, it was still dark but this time the Chinese kid was on watch, and staring into the car. Glenn looked startled as Daryl's eyes met his but quickly recovered and he opened the car door and placed a plastic bowl of something on the seat beside Daryl.

"I wasn't watching you sleep. I just... I guess you haven't eaten for a while and I'm also guessing you wanna get out of here as soon as you can, so... it's not much but, it's something."

Daryl didn't say anything, and Glenn didn't expect him too, as he closed the car door and carried on with patrolling the prison.

He vaguely wondered if the food was poisoned but then figured there'd be little point in that, considering how easily they could have killed him at any point if they'd actually wanted too. So once Glenn was away from him, he ate the food.

It was bland but it was something and it wasn't until he started to eat it that he realised how damn hungry he was. It didn't take him long to finish it off and the bowl was discarded beside him in no time at all.

He considered what Hershel had said to him earlier as he let his food digest.

Would Grimes and the others really have gone back and looked for him and Merle? Of course they didn't know Merle's fate.

And it would be interesting to see how Rick reacted when he found out.

* * *

7.

Daryl watched the group from the car as they went through their morning routine.

They ate together, Rick changed his baby into a clean diaper and clothes before she was fed. And they sat together content.

Daryl studied them. He didn't recognise some of them. There really wasn't many left from Atlanta.

There was Rick, Glenn, Andrea and Carl. He wondered if some of the others had split from the group.

He could imagine Shane might go his own way, especially if Rick fucked up with the rest of the group like he did with him and Merle.

And then there was the new additions. The old man who had stitched him up and his girl.

And a newborn baby. He shook his head as he watched them.

They were pretty fucked.

He opened the car door and stepped outside, cautious as he knew he was in a hostile situation. The last thing he needed was to end up like Martinez.

He stayed over behind the car, having to relieve himself and once he was finished he walked round to the other side of the car. He stayed by it still, noticing he'd caught the attention of the group by now.

"Gonna let me go or what?" Daryl asked.

Rick turned to Hershel and after a brief discussion, the pair stood up and headed over towards Daryl. He didn't miss Andrea ready her weapon as she sat around with the others. She stayed seated, but he knew if he tried anything there'd be more than just Rick gunning for him. Literally.

"Let me check the wound," Hershel said and Daryl did nothing to stop him as he checked the stitches. "I'd hate to send you on your way not having fixed this properly."

"Yeah, after shooting my friend in the face I'd hate to get an infection, or summit." Daryl snarled, eyes on Rick as he spoke.

"Looks like it's starting to heal nicely. You should take some antibiotics though. Can we spare any?" Hershel asked Rick, ignoring Daryl's previous comment.

Rick just nodded and went to get them before Daryl interrupted. "Save it. Got plenty back where I come from. So you taking me back or I gotta go from here?"

Rick looked to Hershel who nodded. "He won't do himself any favours but he should be fine to drive."

"Okay. I'll take him back then," Rick said.

* * *

Phillip stepped out of the car, several other men having come with him.

Daryl and Martinez were experienced enough that they could handle a routine run for supplies. So when they hadn't come back by the end of the day, he knew something had gone wrong.

It was more curiosity than care that bought him out though. They'd had a clear destination about where they were going so it was easy enough to track them down.

As soon as they pulled up in the parking lot, Phillip saw the abandoned truck the pair had taken. There was nothing but some tarp thrown in the corner of the trucks bed so whatever happened had happened quickly.

One of the men was quick to point out Martinez's half mauled body on the ground.

It didn't take them long to realise that Daryl's body was missing and that the man's beloved crossbow was sat in the truck still. It seemed likely that both men had met their demise here. Daryl might have made it, maybe if he'd made a run for it, but it seemed unlikely he'd leave a weapon behind. Nevertheless, if he was alive, he was bound to come back at some point.

With nothing else to do, they grabbed the supplies that had been gathered and drove the car and truck back to Woodbury.

* * *

Rick looked into the rearview mirror and adjusted it so he could see Daryl clearly.

The bound man looked at the mirror before turning away from Rick's gaze and looking out the window.

After a long drawn out silence, Rick spoke.

"For what it's worth, I never meant for any of this to happen." When Daryl just glared back, Rick sighed. "Merle won't be out looking for you alone then? This new town is equipped enough that there are people to go with him?"

"Merle can't go looking for me," Daryl muttered.

Rick's face fell slightly at the idea and he trod carefully. "Oh?"

Daryl made him wait a minute and at first he thought it was to be spiteful to the man. The truth was, he hadn't had to tell anyone that Merle was dead. He didn't know anyone at Woodbury and everyone there pretty much knew his business. So to tell someone who knew Merle, even for a short time felt different.

Because he feared that Rick might try and be somewhat comforting and he didn't need that.

"He's dead."

The car actually swerved off the road a little when Daryl said it and Rick stopped the car after straightening it back on the road. He seemed frozen to the spot hands resting on the wheel and staring straight ahead.

When Rick dared to turn round there was a clear look of despair on his face. Daryl hadn't expected to see it and it caught him off guard.

"From... from his arm?"

Daryl just replied with a nod, not wanting to engage any more.

He dropped his head as Rick continued to look at him with those eyes filled with a sadness. What the hell was that? He hadn't known either of them for more than a few hours? A day? Not long enough to display this much sadness about it.

"I... I always felt terrible about the way things played out with your brother. I didn't handle it well. When we went back to Atlanta after we left you both behind, I just hoped we'd be able to find you both, take you back in and I don't know, at least give you back your supplies. We couldn't find you anywhere."

Daryl let out a sigh. "We went back to camp," he admitted, not looking at Rick. "When he got worse..."

He let the words trail off after taking a quick lookup to see Rick look as guilty as he could. Daryl huffed at the fact that the man he hated was making him feel bad. "Probably wouldn't have done no good."

"I'm sorry," Rick said after a beat. He looked and sounded sincere and as much as Daryl wanted to ignore him, he gave a nod of understanding.

And despite what he'd felt before, he couldn't hold the grudge."It's done anyway. I ain't out for revenge, ain't gonna have to watch your back. It's done." There was no way Daryl could take revenge on the man, not with such a young infant in his care. if it was just Rick, that would be different.

"I... Thank you."

Daryl nodded again. "So, you gonna keep driving or what?" Daryl pressed and Rick nodded, turning the car back onto the road.

* * *

A blaring car horn from the car behind surprised Jon.

He'd been driving the truck back to Woodbury, leading the way. And as he looked to see what the noise was about he caught a blur in the mirror and looked around just in time to see someone making a dash into the treeline.

And Jon had only just slammed the brakes on when he heard a shot sound out and the figure dropped to the ground.

The Governor was heading towards the downed figure who was still moving, trying to get back up.

That was when he realised it was a girl when The Governor pulled her up by one thin arm and in an impressive display of her speed, she grabbed the sword across her back and swung it around, The Governor able to push her back and duck just in time to avoid her blade.

But she was outnumbered as she heard the men in the cars readying their weapons, all aimed at her.

The Governor pulled the sword from her grip before grabbing hold of her and marching her towards the car.

-

8.

"God damn bastards!" Daryl muttered upon seeing the empty space where the truck had stood. "Someone stole my truck!" he griped.

The other cars around were wrecks. But Rick got out, checked them over. A few were burnt out, probably from when this whole thing started and people had began to panic. A couple more were out of gas. Heading back to the car Rick returned to the driver's seat.

"Sorry, there's nothing of much worth out there."

"S'fine. Lemme go, I can walk from here."

"With just a knife?" Rick asked. It was the only weapon Daryl had on him after they'd knocked him out.

"I'll be fine."

Rick sighed before shaking his head. "Which way is the town?"

"I can..."

"Which way?"

It was Daryl's turn to sigh, but he nodded to the road ahead of them.

Rick looked at the gas left in the tank. "How far?"

"Twenty-minute drive," Daryl said, shrugging.

Rick nodded. He'd not have enough gas left in the tank to make the extra journey and get back to the prison. "Okay," he said. "Just tell me where I need to go."

* * *

They'd stopped a little further up the road, Rick finding a few cars abandoned by the roadside and he started checking them for gas.

It didn't take long to find one with some gas still in it and he started to syphon it into his own gas tank.

When a lone walker stepped out from the woods just behind Rick, he was able to quickly take care of it, using a knife.

With no more walkers insight, Rick went over to a truck left abandoned on the road and started to search through the contents within. He hadn't expected a walker to be sat in the back of the van, half-hidden behind boxes and content to sit until it heard Rick's movement. And as the bony fingers of the walker grabbed at Rick's wrist, the shock from it made him fumble with his gun, dropping it loudly to the ground before he struggled to get to his knife he stowed away earlier.

With the commotion happening inside the van, Rick wasn't aware of the walkers starting to stumble out of the woods again.

Daryl reached for his knife that was left on the passenger seat.

Rick had done a poor job of securing Daryl, but it was to his advantage to not let Rick know that. If Rick tried anything funny, he'd have the element of surprise. Daryl considered just crawling across to the front seat and driving off, leaving Rick to his fate, but he couldn't quite bring himself to do it.

He scrambled to the door as he saw one of the walkers reaching for Rick's foot as he struggled with the walker inside. There were a few more walkers descending from the woods but they'd have time to move if Rick got free now. He moved round to the other side of the car, quickly aiming, Daryl launched the knife across the space between them, it's blade hitting it's target as it penetrated the skull of the walker and it dropped to the ground.

Daryl saw Rick manage to sink his knife into the walker in the van, throwing the body to one side. Rick grabbed Daryl's knife as he dropped to the ground and raced back to the car, aware of the walkers drawn to them.

Rick jumped in the drivers seat and Daryl opened the door closest too him climbing in quickly.

Letting out a relieved breath, Rick drove away quickly, keen to put some distance between them and the walkers.

It took him a moment to realise that Daryl had been bound and was sitting beside him, knife in hand.

Rick threw him a quick look, questioning.

Looking to Rick, Daryl admitted "You can't tie for shit."

Rick let out an amused snort, a smile on his face. Daryl let the corner of his lip lift into a small smile which didn't last very long.

He didn't look at Rick, but when he felt the man's eyes land upon him and hold there for a longer time than was needed, his eyes drifted to the man.

And when he looked at him there was a kindness there. And for a moment it was almost like this wasn't the end of the world and they were just two friends hanging out, having a good time. _Some good time,_ Daryl thought to himself. Then Rick simply nodded at Daryl and turned his attention back to the road.

And Daryl felt something like fondness grow in him for the man.

* * *

"So, are you going to tell me what happened?"

The Governor was sat in his chair, across the desk on the other chair Michonne was seated. Her weapon removed and she was all too aware of the two men stood by the door.

"I told you. I heard the car approach and I hid in the truck. That's all."

"It's just my men are dead and there you are, in their truck. You can see why I'm having trouble with your story."

"I didn't kill them. If I had, I'd have chopped their heads off."

"Well one of them is missing. Maybe his head has been chopped off."

"I didn't kill anyone," Michonne said, calmly.

Someone burst through the doors just then and the two men stood by them were ready to stop him. Seeing it was just one of the guards they relaxed. "Look who showed up." The man said smiling.

The Governor's smile faltered slightly as Daryl followed the man through the door. The Governor's eyes returned to the woman briefly before returning to Daryl. "You recognise her?" he asked, voice full of authority as he stood up and gestured down to the woman.

Daryl stole a quick glance at her before shaking his head. "Nah."

"Martinez?"

"It was an accident..."

"An accident?" The Governor interrupted, sounding disbelieving. When he saw Daryl go to continue, he held up a hand to silence him. The Governor smiled, fake and insincere as he looked to the woman. "Looks like there's been a mistake."

"Looks like it."

"We'll let you go, but I'd like you to stay a few days. Get some rest, get some food and then you're free to go."

"I'd rather just go." She informed him.

"I insist." He said, an edge creeping into his voice. "Boys, show her to a room."

The two guards by the door came over and escorted her out the room. The Governor dismissed the other man so it was only him and Daryl left.

"So what the hell happened?" The Governor asked, frustration clear.

"Some others turned up when we were getting supplies. Martinez made a mistake. Stepped out too quickly and got a bullet in the head."

"And they left you?"

"They got me," Daryl said gesturing to his shoulder. "They just... fired. Didn't really think it through."

"They're a threat," The Governor said.

Daryl shook his head, "No, they're not like that."

"You seem so sure."

"They took care of me for the night. Stitched my wound up. They coulda jus' shot me and be done with it."

"Maybe they want you to think that. Maybe they want to find out where we are." It must have been obvious then that they knew exactly where they were. Somehow, The Governor's look grow darker as he stared at Daryl. "They know where we are?"

Daryl felt a little fear creep into him at The Governor's look. It was something like his Daddy and Merle, they way they'd look sometimes. "They won't come here," Daryl said, but The Governor turned away from him. He was breathing in and out heavily through his nose as if trying to control his temper.

"Get out of here for a while, Daryl."

And Daryl didn't hesitate in leaving.

* * *

9.

Michonne didn't like Woodbury.

There was nothing _to_ like about it. The Governor had an air to him she didn't trust and he had half a dozen men following his orders blindly.

She had known he hadn't believed her story about just coming across the truck and it wasn't until the other man, Daryl, had been able to verify this that he had backed down.

But she saw the anger turn to Daryl. Saw The Governor plaster on a smile so fake that it couldn't have fooled anyone and she almost felt bad for the men who would be left to face him.

Peering from her window, she watched as The Governor spoke to some of his men, ordering a few around before he began talking to another man with spectacles.

She opened the window to her room, listening in as their voices carried gently up to her room. She ducked inside so she couldn't be seen.

It wasn't particularly interesting.

The spectacled man, Milton, was talking about some research he needed to show The Governor. Half an hour, he promised. Half an hour and no longer.

And with a slight sigh the other man agreed.

Michonne knew what she needed to do.

* * *

Hershel greeted Rick as he stepped out of the car.

The others spared him smiles and he noticed the relieved looks on their faces now he'd returned.

"It went okay?" Hershel asked him.

Rick nodded his reply. "Couldn't ask him to come back with us though," Rick said. He knew Hershel hoped that the groups kindness might have been a way through to the hunter, something they needed so badly right now. And he'd hoped Rick would ask Daryl to consider it. "He saved my life. Walker was nearly on top of me and he'd slipped the rope off at some point, didn't let on he was free. If he hadn't been able too, I doubt I'd be coming back to you at all." Rick exhaled deeply. "So I couldn't . Couldn't ask more from him."

Hershel nodded, understanding. "Let's get you something to eat," He said, leading Rick back to the group.

* * *

Daryl had spotted Phillip on his way across town with Milton and tried to get a quick moment to speak with him. But Phillip brushed him off, told him he had better things to do right now and if he needed to see him, he could wait in his office.

He was colder than usual and Daryl felt something uneasy in his stomach churning, nervously. It reminded him of being a kid, waiting for his Daddy to get home after he knew he'd been out drinking all day.

Daryl mentally shook the likeness from his mind. The Governor wasn't like his father. He was pissed, he could understand that. After all, he'd just lost a man who he'd known a long time. A guy who was valuable to Woodbury. Daryl's own return had been a surprise.

But deep down, he knew the man had never quite been the same since Penny. He'd seen Phillip's grip on the town slacken slightly, the plans he'd spent so long putting together weren't quite as important any more as he shifted his energy and the town's resources into checking on the biters and how they worked and what triggered things within them.

It all seemed pointless to Daryl. He'd lost Penny and he'd never get her back, no matter what research he did.

Daryl was so lost in thought that he didn't really notice the door to The Governor's office was slightly open. And he didn't see what happened, just heard the body drop to the ground and his head shot up, not prepared to be met with anything beyond the door other than an empty office.

The body on the ground was Penny, dark bloody pooled from a wound in the back of her head as the woman before him, Michonne held her blood-stained katana out before her, ready to use on him if he dared to try to go for her.

Daryl had left his crossbow in his own room but he had his knife but he knew he'd be able to do little against her when she held the sword as she did. Knew she could handle herself.

"What did you do?" he asked her, looking down to Penny's body.

"She was a walker. I ended it for her."

"That's not your call," Daryl protested, knowing it was too late to argue a case either way.

"You can't think it's right. Leaving a little girl as a monster."

"What does it matter to you, huh? It's his daughter, she don't know anythin', ain't like she's got a mind trapped in there knowing all this shit. It kept him together, kept him goin,' crazy. " Daryl argued, closing the gap between himself and Michonne. He barely noticed how she threatened him more with the sword.

She shook her head at him. "You think that's it? That's all? Look at this."

Michonne made her way to a door across the room, to a door he'd barely noticed before, he'd never seen it opened, never stepped inside.

The room was dark and she flicked the light switch but the light didn't flood the room, instead it came from one side and Daryl stepped around the door frame to see what exactly was in there.

"Here," Michonne said, standing away from Daryl as she motioned to the tanks.

A chill ran through Daryl as he saw a dozen fish tanks, all lit up. Half of them had walkers heads floating in them. Decapitated but the brain not destroyed so each one was still alive, as it were.

He cast his eyes across each tank trying to fathom what the man was doing this for. There had to be something that made sense.

He froze on one tank as something caught his attention. A familiar face, even in decay and rot.

Even leaner than he'd ever seen him look.

Eye's bulging slightly, cheeks drawn and his skin peeling away. But it was Merle.

And he felt the hair on his arms stand up as a shiver ran through him.

All this time, Merle had been here? He'd not found peace. He'd not had his body laid to rest like The Governor had promised. But that was just it, he scoffed at the hideous truth too it. Because his body _had_ been laid to rest. Just without his head.

Michonne was staring at Daryl. His reaction to one of the heads in the tank spoke volumes. He was breathing heavily through his nose, eyes fixated on that one tank, that one face.

And then everything went to hell.

"What the fuck?"

"What's going on?"

And two of The Governor's heavies were at the door and before they pulled their guns on Michonne, Daryl had slipped past them.

But Daryl didn't stop and explain, even as he heard the gunfire. He just had to get away from there.

From that room.

From this place.

* * *

10

The Governor eyed the room, nausea gripping his stomach tightly.

He'd seen it once but his rage had overtaken him. He couldn't remember much but cradling Penny close to him, as her cold body stained his clothes with her rotting congealed blood.

He'd wept as he clung to her, hardly noticed as they took the bleeding injured woman away and it wasn't until he'd stopped rocking Penny's still, lifeless form that he thought about her.

The woman who had done this.

And he let go of Penny.

Saw the red stain she'd left on his shirt, his hands.

He stood on unsure legs and saw the red trail from where they took that woman away.

"Boss?" someone asked uncertain.

"What happened?" he asked, voice sounded distant, even to his own ears.

"I'll go find Dixon, he'll know. He was here."

He was here.

He was here.

When Penny was murdered.

And he was here.

Twice now Dixon had failed his daughter. Twice he'd lost her.

"He let this happen?"

It was a cold voice that spoke those words.

Unattached to anything.

And then he saw nothing but red.

* * *

Daryl hadn't thought of anything but Merle since he left the Governor's office.

He was barely aware of what he was doing as he threw a few belongings in a backpack and headed out the gates of Woodbury.

Nobody questioned him or tried to stop him. He wasn't sure anyone actually noticed.

And then he walked.

Walked until he hit the woods and then kept going. Mindlessly.

And when it started to get dark, he knew he needed to set up a camp for the night.

He found the first space he could that gave him natural shelter as he wished he'd grabbed some camping gear from the storeroom and then set about starting a small campfire.

He couldn't eat a damn thing but it'd keep him warm at least.

His mind kept returning to Merle.

He'd done this to him. The Governor.

He'd been there in that tank all this time.

Was still there.

Daryl had been in too much shock to deal with it straight away. To end it right there.

And now he couldn't go back.

Didn't want to set foot in that place again. He'd stay in the woods and keep moving.

Find himself someplace out of the way, where no one would go looking.

He could live there alone until he died.

Maybe he could get a stray dog. Take care of it.

Just him and the dog.

He wiped a stray tear that slipped down his face away quickly, as if its presence annoyed him greatly.

He'd never felt quite so alone before.

Truly alone.

There were times as a kid where he'd be alone. Whether it be lost in the woods or just left home while his father went on a bender, or his brother was in the Marines or in jail, but someone had still been out there, somewhere.

Not any more though.

It was just him.

And God, he missed Merle

* * *

Milton stood beside Phillip as he stared down at the blanket covering his daughter.

His baby girl cruelly snatched from him twice now.

"We should have a service." Milton voiced, quietly timidly. "Some... closure."

Phillip nodded. But that wouldn't give him closure. Not like he wanted.

He had the girl. Michonne.

She was tied up securely, someone guarding her at all times.

He'd make her pay for what she did.

And Dixon. He wanted him to pay too.

He _had_ to pay.

But no one could find him and Phillip knew the man well.

Knew he'd scamper off into the woods now.

Like a guilty dog would cower in the yard after fowling in the house.

He was guilty.

And he'd have to pay the price.

He had to.

* * *

11.  
  


An extra-large crackle from the fire woke Daryl with a start.

It took him a moment to get his bearings and as he lay on the ground, looking at his surroundings he started to remember everything.

The Governor, Merle, Penny and Michonne. All of it one huge mess he was pleased to be away from.

All except Merle of course. Merle who'd spend the rest of his life in a tank.

Daryl wondered how long those things could live for without food. However long it was, it was still too long.

But there wasn't much he could do about it now.

He didn't want to return to Woodbury. He couldn't. Not even for Merle.

He knew he was gone. It wasn't Merle back there and it wasn't worth the risk.

Before sleep had claimed him he had decided he'd head away from Woodbury, as far as he could get.

He'd hunt while he made his way through the woods and he'd stop at the prison where Rick and his people were.

He'd offer up the fresh meat to them, keep one back for himself if he'd caught enough and he'd warn them away from Woodbury, tell them to leave because it wasn't safe. He'd tell them he was heading West and he'd leave.

And he hoped, prayed that maybe they'd take pity on him. Maybe offer him shelter with them.

if they took his warning seriously they could travel together West and it'd be okay.

He wouldn't be alone and he could help them. He'd be useful.

Even if they kept him at arms length, maybe he could find his own car, travel away from the others so they didn't have to worry about what he might do to any of them.

He'd do it. As soon as he got through the rest of the night, he'd head for the prison.

He just didn't want to be alone.

* * *

Phillip asked Milton to arrange the service for Penny.

He told him he needed some time alone first and he'd nodded, understanding.

But he hadn't told him his time alone involved him stalking down Daryl Dixon in the woods. Making him pay for what he did to Penny.

He wouldn't bring him back, because if anyone saw him, they'd question him and he didn't need that.

His true revenge would be extracted from Michonne. Slowly. Painfully.

He could keep her alive as long as he wished too. Could let her know just how much he'd suffered and he could make her feel his pain.

His deep, unrelenting pain.

And by the time she died, she'd welcome the dark bliss.

But he'd make sure she came back.

Make sure that she never got no rest.

He'd keep her.

Chain her up somewhere. Pull all her pearly white teeth from her rotting gums and make her harmless.

And he'd keep her fed to make sure she didn't starve, make sure her suffering only ended when he was ready for it too end.

But he didn't see an end in sight.

Not while his own life was still marred with such devastation.

He looked out into the night sky.

At first light, he'd head out into the woods.

* * *

Daryl had bagged a couple of hares and three squirrels by the time the prison came into view.

Rick was waiting at the gate to the prison, like he knew he was coming and Daryl walked with Rick up to the others.

He saw them eye up his fresh kills with hunger in their eyes. "Peace offering," he said. "Thought you looked like you hadn't seen any fresh meat in a while,"

"Thank you," Rick said.

And in no time, Daryl had skinned and cleaned the meat for them. They were cooking it over the campfire and the group was laughing together, happy.

When all the meat was cooked, they dished out bowlfuls of meat to everyone, like what Glenn had bought over to Daryl when he'd been injured in their care.

And as the last dish was handed out, Daryl remained empty-handed.

Rick looked to him, puzzled. "What, did you think you were joining us?"

The others laughed around the campfire as they ate his kills and he watched them happily feast on his food. His food.

"You don't belong with us. You're better off alone," Hershel said.

"C'mon baby brother. Come where you're wanted." Merle said, reaching out a decaying hand towards him. Daryl shifted away from Merle's touch, even as he woke and let out a slight strangled sob.

He was breathing heavily as tears clouded his vision and he wiped them away along with the sweat on his brow.

It was just a dream, he told himself trying to control his breathing.

But he knew that whatever he took the group, they still might not welcome him in. They didn't need him.

 _'Whatcha got to lose, baby brother,'_ he heard Merle whisper. It sounded like he was out there with him, but he knew it was in his head or maybe some leftover part of his dream. Whatever it was, it wasn't Merle. But it was still right.

Even if the group turned him away, he'd not lost anything.

And his dream had picked up on his insecurity. He'd never be that carefree and open with them. He'd never allow himself to be so hurt by them.

He shivered slightly, mind settling on his plan of action.

"Shit," he muttered aloud when he realised he'd slept through. He was hoping to get up as soon as dawn broke, get to the prison as early as he could.

He'd have more chance of catching something to take to the group if he'd been up earlier. He started to feel dread creep in.

Maybe he'd not be able to catch anything and then what? he shook his head, cleared the thoughts away.

He'd just have to stay in the woods until he caught something for them.

That was all there was too it.

* * *

  
12.

Daryl had managed to get four squirrels.

It wasn't an impressive haul, but he wanted to get to the prison before nightfall, so he decided against circling the woods for want of a better catch.

If he was turned away, he'd decided he'd find a car for the night. Sleep undercover.

And if the car was working, in the morning he'd drive.

He'd drive for a couple of days if he could. Far away from Woodbury and The Governor and he'd find a place to settle down away from all of it.

Maybe he'd try and find that elusive cabin in the woods he was after. He'd like that. Some posh hunting cabin he'd never be able to visit before all of this because he and Merle would never be good enough.

If Rick's group rejected him, and he knew it was a possibility, then he'd managed alone. His fear of coming across someone like The Governor again was greater than his need for people.

If he set himself upright, he'd not need anyone else.

He could do this alone.

If he had too.

* * *

"Okay, lunch is served," Maggie said dishing out plastic bowls of food to everyone.

"I don't even want to know what this is," Andrea said.

"We've had worse," Rick said after downing his first mouthful.

"The baby formula's getting low." Andrea reminded Rick. "Maybe we need to move somewhere closer to supplies. Every time someone goes on a run, we're left weak back here."

"I know. Maybe you're right. I was thinking if we get some maps, maybe see..."

Rick didn't get any further when a gunshot echoed from the woods.

"That was close," Glenn remarked alarmed.

"Everyone go over to the prison bus. Hide out of sight. Andrea, come with me and we'll go check it out."

* * *

It hadn't been the gunshot that had alerted Daryl to The Governor's presence.

In fact, he hadn't been certain that the man was there until he was looming over him. But he had known _someone_ was there.

He'd caught sight of a trail from a deer on his way towards the prison. The tracks were fresh and he couldn't resist trying. So he'd been distracted with that. Concentrating on the trail and while he was always alert to his surrounding, he never really felt too threatened by walkers, so he probably hadn't been as attentive as he should have been.

So when he thought he'd seen something moving, he figured it for a walker and dismissed it. It wasn't close enough to be a threat so it didn't matter.

And he kept after that deer. Was distracted when he saw it in a clearing ahead and he readied himself to get a shot. The deer heard him, turned to look in his direction and he froze, stayed still as her ears twitched and she searched for the threat.

He didn't move. Not a muscle. Froze as she judged whether she needed to flee or not.

He didn't move, so when she bolted, he feared the walker had broke cover and headed after him.

He had to turn, because maybe the walker had got the jump on him. Had to check.

But he realised quickly that he wasn't careful enough and he shouldn't have been worrying about catching a deer. He should have worried about getting caught.

* * *

"Where do you think it came from?" Andrea asked in hushed tones.

Rick shook his head. The idea of searching into the woods was to make sure there was no nearby threat. He didn't intend to look for trouble if nothing presented itself.

"We're not going too far. I just want to make sure what ever's happening isn't happening too close. The last thing we need is to attract walkers to the prison."

Andrea nodded in approval.

And they pushed on further.

* * *

The boot had connected with his nose, a crunchy sound too loud to his own ears as pain shot through him.

He fired the crossbow blindly, not actually meaning to release the bolt but his finger tightening against the trigger anyway.

He heard no cry of pain, so unfortunately, it hadn't hit the man in front of him.

Daryl attempted to go for his knife, but The Governor saw the move coming. He was towering over Daryl still, the hunter not having made it off from a crouching position when he'd first turned around, and he used that height advantage to kick Daryl down to the ground before his booted foot landed on Daryl's hand, his weight forcing Daryl to give up on the idea of retrieving his knife.

It was odd.

Daryl figured that when The Governor turned up, started to attack him, that they might fight, they might trade blows and maybe even there'd be some weapons pointed at one another. But the end of it, he thought there'd be some understanding.

Parting ways no doubt, but it would be finished between them.

But as The Governor stomped his other leg down onto Daryl's forearm, twice, until it crunched beneath the boot, Daryl realised that nothing that came before this moment had meant anything to this cold man.

He would kill Daryl right here if he got the chance. And Daryl doubted he'd even spare him a second thought once the job was done.

* * *

"What was that noise?"

"Over there," Andrea pointed to the left up ahead of them.

* * *

He'd fought back.

Merle would have been proud. But, without a weapon, arm useless by his side he never really had a chance. He landed a few blows, but he knew The Governor was toying with him.

The bastard was smiling half the time.

And really when it happened, he wasn't surprised.

The Governor had him pinned up against a tree, his forearm dug into Daryl's throat keeping Daryl focused on trying to draw in precious air rather than trying to escape the man's clutches.

The knife that was stuck into his gut caused pain like he'd never felt before.

And he'd suffered in life.

Knew pain.

The blade was buried deep, up to the point where there was nothing left to push inside of him, and The Governor was holding the knife, pushing against Daryl so he couldn't escape the feeling.

Then The Governor was releasing him, he could finally breathe. The knife was still embedded in him and he didn't want to pull it out.

The Governor had stood back from him, watching as he held himself upright, fighting the pain, hands trembling around the wound that was sure to kill him if he stayed out here alone.

"It's not good enough to leave you here like this," The Governor started, drawing his gun.

And Daryl thought that he was going to get his mercy. That he'd be relieved of the pain and suffering and trying to survive.

This whole mess could just be finished with.

The pain that exploded in his leg with the sound of the gunshot let him know there'd be no easy way out for him.

* * *

There were walkers ahead, congregating at the source of the noise no doubt.

Rick and Andrea kept low and quiet as they approached, but both stopped in shock as one of the walkers was suddenly downed by someone unseen. They watched as all the walkers were dispatched and the bodies were scattered on the ground.

Then a man stepped out from behind a tree, his back to them.

* * *

Time was running out.

With every beat of his heart, Daryl knew he didn't have much longer left to live. It felt like a lifetime as The Governor looked down on him as he slowly bled.

He was certain that when he saw the walker's the Governor was going to let them get to him, tear him apart. But apparently that wasn't part of the sick man's plan for him.

Knowing him, what he had in store was much worse.

* * *

Rick and Andrea split up as they moved closer, Rick veering to the left while Andrea got closer behind the man.

She could tell there was someone else there, in front of the standing man. He was slumped on the ground, she could see his legs splayed out and would assume he was dead if the standing man wasn't talking to him.

His quiet voice carried easily to her in the silence surrounding them.

"I wondered something for a long time. If I remove your head while you're still alive, would you still turn? What do you think, hm? I say it's the perfect time to try."

And Andrea saw the flash of a knife.

* * *

Rick lowered himself down so he could see between the branches and shrubs of where he was hiding.

He'd seen the man who'd killed the walkers as he spoke to the other person and Rick's eyes flickered over to him.

It took him a moment to comprehend it.

Daryl. It was Daryl.

There was a knife embedded in him, his bloody hands were clutching close to it and Rick wondered if the man before him had carried out this attack, or saved Daryl from it, because he'd just killed the walkers threatening them.

Rick held the Python in his hand, ready to see what was happening. If the guy was here to help Daryl then he and Andrea could slip away, undetected.

* * *

The Governor stood over Daryl, knife in hand. He'd grabbed Daryl's knife at some point, if that wasn't just the icing on the cake.

He was planning on using Daryl's own knife to sever his head.

"If it makes you feel better, when you've turned I can put your head next to your brothers. The same tank for all eternity. You'd like that, right?"

Daryl couldn't answer. Wouldn't give the man the satisfaction. He saw something flicker on the man's face at his lack of respect, his refusal to answer him. He kicked the knife stuck in Daryl so the blade went deeper, handle lodging into Daryl's guts and he cried out in pain.

Every tiny movement he made hurt. Breathing hurt so much he just wanted to stop.

But he wasn't close enough to death just yet.

His vision blurred at the tears in his eyes, some running down his face, unable to stop it even if he wanted too.

Because he knew the pain wasn't over yet.

There was more to come.

He'd beg for mercy if he thought he'd get any.

He knew better.

* * *

The second the man kicked at the prone man on the ground, Andrea readied her weapon.

She was a good shot now, but she never took life easily. But when she'd heard the man taunting the other and heard his cry of pain, there was nothing else for it.

She stood silently and aimed her shot.

* * *

Rick clenched his jaw as he watched the knife slip deeper into Daryl.

The man in front of him was out to kill the hunter, that much was clear, and Rick wasn't sure that he hadn't already succeeded.

The painful sounds emanating from Daryl made him shudder that was enough for him.

He aimed for the man's head.

* * *

When the shot ran out, Daryl clenched his eyes shut tightly and wondered when the pain would hit him.

But no new pain came to him and the thud of a body falling next to him had him opening his eyes quickly. Phillip's body was beside him, most of his head missing from the shot that had taken him down.

A small amount of relief flooded him. He wouldn't have to be tormented by that man any more.

He didn't really hear the sound of the footsteps as they rushed towards him. Wasn't until he heard a faintly muttered voice whisper his name that his eyes opened again, unaware he'd even shut them.

The blue eyes of Andrea looked back at him, gun in hand, worry on her face. She looked next to her and Daryl's looked across too and saw Rick with beside her. Same blue eyes looking at him, same worried expression.

Rick cast his gaze down over Daryl's body. There was a lot of blood.

"Can we do anything?" Andrea asked Rick.

And he shook his head.

Fucked. He was fucked.

He already knew that though.

Daryl feebly patted the four squirrels he'd killed and roped up. "Was bringin' ya these," Daryl panted.

Rick's eyes went to the squirrels before back to Daryl, a look of confusion on his face. "Why?"

"Second chance... wanted a second chance," Daryl muttered, closed his eyes as a grimace of pain hit him. He opened his eyes and looked to Rick. "Would it 'av worked?"

"We'd have let you in without the squirrels," Rick assured him.

Daryl's eyes drifted to Andrea. "Take the squirrels back. Lady shouldn't 'av to see this,"

Andrea smiled sadly. "I've seen worse," she assured him.

"Please?" he whispered.

Andrea nodded and smiled at him. She cut the rope Daryl had used to attach the squirrels too, seeing as it was across his body and there was no way she could get them away from him any other way. "Thank you," she said, closing in and leaving a gentle kiss on his cheek.

If he'd had the energy, he'd have turned away from her, but he couldn't. He just had to lay there. He heard Andrea's steps as they drifted away from him.

His eyes drifted back across to Rick who wore a look of sadness and pity.

"Don't look at me like that," Daryl muttered. He closed his eyes again, heard Rick shuffle around and he thought he was leaving him there.

Instead, he felt the man sit beside him and despite himself, Daryl leant into the touch as much as he could considering the pain movement caused him. Rick must have noticed because he seemed to move closer too.

If felt nice, having someone there at the end.

Daryl made a gargled choking sound before he spat out a mouthful of blood, it ran over his lips and dribbled down his chin, covered his neck.

Rick could feel Daryl's blood soaking into his jeans where it had leaked from his leg wound. He'd been careful not to knock his leg when he sat beside him, but the blood was running across the ground, pooling around him.

"Daryl, listen, do you want me to do it now? Save you any more pain?"

He was surprised when Daryl shook his head. "Not yet. Don' leave. D'wanna die alone."

"I'll stay right here," Rick whispered, surprised by the sting in his eyes. He reached for Daryl's hand. "You feel that? That's me, okay? I'm right here."

Daryl was grateful but he couldn't tell Rick. He had more important things to say.

"The town you took me back too? Woodbury. Go there. Make it yer own," Daryl nodded down to Phillip's body. "Was the guy runnin' the place and they ain't got anyone else who could take over." Daryl found each word came with a struggle. But he had to tell Rick all he could before he ran out of time. "Find the girl prisoner and let 'er go. And end it for Merle..." Daryl coughed and spluttered more, spit up more blood. One more thing he had to say. "Don't let me come back."

"I promise," Rick said, gripping hold of Daryl's hand tighter. He squeezed back once as much as he could. When Daryl said nothing else, just wheezed each breath Rick knew he it was time to let go. "Keep your eyes closed. It'll all be okay."

And Rick kept his tight grip on Daryl's hand as he held the gun against the side of the hunters head.

"I'm sorry," Rick whispered.

"Don't be," he heard back before he pulled the trigger.

* * *

13.

They'd been at Woodbury for a week.

And today was going to be something special.

A sombre day for them all.

They'd been accepted into Woodbury when they arrived, told they would find safety and shelter here.

And the man who was apparently in charge, Milton, looked lost and confused and Rick knew that Daryl had been right about the lack of leadership.

Milton told them about Phillip and how he ran the town but when it slipped into the third day with no sign of him, the town had a meeting. Milton started it off, but Rick took over. Because reassuring people came naturally to him and he told them that they should continue with The Governor's plans for the town and hopefully, if he returned one day, he'd be pleased with their progress.

Winning over the townspeople had been easy. The guards were another matter.

But Rick, backed up with Andrea, Glenn and Maggie, as well as Milton who was firmly on Rick's side after a few days under the man's leadership, soon had a different agenda for them, with watching the walls and going for runs.

The building they guarded which held prisoners, one male and a female, were released. And the walkers they kept there were all destroyed.

Rick told the townspeople about them. About the walkers and the prisoners. There were no secrets in Woodbury now, he assured them.

The woman they'd held, Michonne, had her katana returned to her. Rick told her she was free to go at any time she wanted too, but hoped she'd at least heal for a few days. He confided in her that The Governor was dead and what had transpired between him and Daryl in the woods.

She realised the trust he put in her telling her something like that and appreciated it. Knew that this man was different from the previous town leader. She remembered the reaction of the man in the office, when she'd shown him the heads and she took Rick to it.

Until that point, he's not managed to get into the Governor's office. Someone else had retrieved the book for him with the town's plans in it, but he'd not been able to go in for himself.

Now, he was able to see for himself the things that the man did, along with several of the town's citizens.

He heard a woman gasp and sobs came from her as she pointed to one of the tanks.

It seemed Daryl wasn't the only one to have family condemned to the tanks. Rick promised the people that all the heads would be removed from the tanks, destroyed and they'd be buried.

Woodbury already had a small Cemetery where they could remember people. But the disgruntled family who had thought they'd buried their dead already wanted something else, so Rick proposed a new monument, for all those people that the town had already lost, not for those merely buried here.

People relished the idea and Rick was a little overwhelmed by the names that people wrote down to be added to the monument.

The small idea soon became much larger as some of the men who had been craftsmen before the world ended took care of the monument.

The heads they retrieved from the tanks were buried the night before in the town square. And early in the morning, the workers erected the new monument to the towns fallen loved ones.

Rick had made sure all the people who had been in the group were added. All of them. Jim, Jacqui, Dale, Shane, Lori. No one was left out. Daryl and Merle were added with them.

Some of the men had gone on a run early that morning and had bought back two wooden benches which fit around the new monument perfectly.

When the whole thing was unveiled later that day, there was a sense of great loss around the town.  
Not one person didn't have someone on that list, Rick was sure of it and while they all knew that this wasn't the end, that people would still get killed, it was a fitting end to this chapter of their journey so far.

Daryl's body was committed to the ground in Woodbury too.

Rick had refused to leave him in the woods and that night in the woods, Andrea hadn't gone far. She'd returned after hearing the gunshot and between them, they carried his body back to the prison.

They lay his body down in the back of one of the cars, covered him with a blanket and Rick had filled the others in on everything that had happened out there. And they'd left for Woodbury the very next morning.

And when Rick had found the graves, found Merle's, he knew that Daryl's rightful final resting place was there with his brother.

He wasn't able to do that straight away. But once he had the towns trust it was what he did.

Merle's head was buried with his body and Daryl was buried beside his brother.

And Rick knew he'd finally done right by The Dixon brothers.


End file.
